New Biomarkers (Endocan, Interleukin-17, and Thrombospondin-4) for the Diagnosis, Assessment of Severity, and Follow-Up of Peripheral Arterial Disease

Abstract

The present study evaluated the use of endocan, interleukin-17 (IL-17), and thrombospondin-4 (TSP-4) blood levels as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and follow-up of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Patients with PAD (Rutherford categories I, II, and III) who were admitted between March 2020 and March 2022 for cardiovascular surgery or outpatient clinic follow-up were included. The patients (n = 60) were divided into 2 groups: medical treatment (n = 30) and surgical treatment (n = 30). In addition, a control group (n = 30) was created for comparison. Endocan, IL-17, and TSP-4 blood levels were measured at the time of diagnosis and at the first month after treatment. Endocan and IL-17 values were found to be significantly higher in both groups that underwent medical (259.7 +/- 46 pg/mL, 63.7 +/- 16.6 pg/mL) and surgical (290.3 +/- 84.5 pg/mL, 66.4 +/- 19.6 pg/mL) treatment than the control group (187.4 +/- 34.5 pg/mL, 56.5 +/- 7.2 pg/mL P < .001). Tsp-4 value was found to be significantly higher only in the surgical treatment group (15 +/- 4.3 ng/mL) than the control group (12.9 +/- 1.4 ng/mL P < .05). The decreases in endocan, IL-17, and TSP-4 levels at the first month of treatment in both groups were also significant (P < .001). A combination of classical and these new biomarkers could be included in PAD screening, early diagnosis, severity determination, and follow-up protocols in order to provide effective assessment in clinical practice.